An Unlikely Adventure
by Hiroakki
Summary: Frodo and Holly had been inseparable ever since they were children. One day, however, Frodo came in possession of the One Ring and was entrusted to carry out a dangerous mission for the purpose of saving all of Middle-Earth. Holly decided to accompany her best friend in his important mission. Along the way, they will meet the most unlikely of people. Rated T for now.
1. The Shire and its Inhabitants

**First attempt ever at writing a fanfiction about the Lord of the Rings! So, first of all, just so that we're clear, I'm following the movie script, not the novel. Also, I am trying to not make my OC too Mary-Sueish, because there're a lot of Mary-Sue type fanfiction for Lord of the Rings... Anyway, I hope this first chapter is a nice intro to what I plan to do in the future! If it's positively received, I'll continue writing, for sure. :D**

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Chapter 1: The Shire and its Inhabitants

A bulky hand dipped the tip of a quill into the bottle of ink. In a handwriting more delicate than such a hand might suggest, words started being formed on the first page of an empty book.

 _The 22nd day of September in the year 1400 by Shire reckoning. Bag End, Bagshot Row, Hobbiton, West Farthing, The Shire, Middle Earth. The Third Age of this world. There and back again, A Hobbits tale, by Bilbo Baggins._

The introduction and the title decided, Bilbo Baggins, the author of the book, brought the feathery side of his quill to his chin, pensively.

"Now, where to begin?" Bilbo mumbled to himself. "Ah, yes! Concerning Hobbits."

Bilbo dipped his quill once more into the ink and resumed writing.

 _Hobbits have been living and farming in the four Farthings of the Shire for many hundreds of years quite content to ignore and be ignored by the world of the Big Folk. Middle Earth being, after all, full of strange creatures beyond count. Hobbits must seem of little importance, being neither renowned as great warriors, nor counted amongst the very wise._

A knock on the door broke Bilbo's concentration.

"Frodo, the door!"

There was no response to Bilbo's call.

"Frodo? Frodo! Where is that boy?"

Little did Bilbo know, Frodo was out in the grassy fields, spending time with his best friend, Holly. Holly was part of the Fallohides, just like Frodo. The Fallohides were a breed of Hobbits, the least numerous ones. They were generally taller than other Hobbits, even though Holly was still shorter than most male Hobbits. She had mid-length brown wavy hair, characteristic of her species. Frodo also had wavy dark brown hair, which was a bit shorter than Holly's however. His eyes were a mesmerizing light blue, distinguishing him from other Hobbits. Holly's eyes, however, were the very common brown colour. Finally, just like every other Hobbit, both of them had furry feet with leathery soles and slightly pointed ears.

Frodo was reading a book with his back leaning on a tree while Holly was gathering Southern Star flowers, one of the three most notable varieties of pipe-weed. She was using a kitchen knife, like always, to pick her flowers. Frodo had asked her before the reason why she did that, instead of just plucking them or using a small dagger like everyone else. She had replied that she felt more comfortable holding a kitchen knife, since it was the tool she used the most, considering she was the cook of her household.

"Don't you think Southern Star flowers are so beautiful before they're dried up to be smoked?"

Holly was looking at the small white flower, slowly turning it around with her fingers.

"Indeed…" Frodo lazily replied.

Holly glanced over at Frodo and found him engrossed in his novel.

"Are you even listening?"

"Mhm…"

Frodo didn't even look up from his book. Holly sighed. He had always been like that ever since they were children. They had been friends for as long as they could remember. Their parents were very close, which, in turn, made Holly and Frodo very close. Her parents were still alive and well, but not Frodo's, however. Bilbo was the one that took him in when this tragedy occurred.

"Hmm… Hmm hmm…"

Far in the distance, a voice was humming.

"Did you hear that?"

Holly got up, recognizing the slightly raspy male voice. Frodo finally got his eyes off his book and started following Holly who was heading towards the sound. The humming was getting louder as they got closer.

"It's Gandalf!" Holly exclaimed in excitement.

Looking down on the road, Holly and Frodo spotted Gandalf's wagon. Gandalf was an old wizard, widely known as Gandalf the Grey. Noticing them Gandalf brought his horses to a stop.

"Well if it isn't Frodo Baggins and Holly Hornblower, inseparable as always."

"How have you been, Gandalf? It's been ages!" Holly said in a jolly tone.

"At least you aren't going to miss Bilbo's birthday," Frodo tried to sound snarky, but his joy betrayed his words.

After the happy reunion, Holly and Frodo rode along with Gandalf in his wagon and headed towards Bilbo's place. Holly got off a bit earlier to head back home. She bid farewell to Frodo and Gandalf for the time being and headed to her family's house. As soon as she opened the round door, the characteristic smell of pipe-weed wafted through and invaded her nostrils. She was used to it, however, since her family was the main producer of the smoked goods. This was due to the fact that it was a member of their family, Tobold Hornblower, who first introduced pipe-weed into the Shire.

"Holly!" A female voice called out from deep within the house, "did you gather the Southern Stars?"

"Yes ma'!" Holly shouted back.

She went in with her basket full of the flowers and set them beside the other baskets that were either full of Old Toby or Longbottom leaves.

"Come on," her mother, Fanny Hornblower, came over and took one of the baskets, "we've got to finish up here fast before attending old Bilbo's birthday."

Holly gave her mother a nonchalant nod and proceeded in her daily tasks in the production of pipe-weed.

The sun was starting to set when Holly's father, Randall Hornblower, arrived home. After greeting his wife and his five children, the family got ready and headed for Bilbo's farewell party and birthday.

"I can't believe he's turning 111 years," Fanny said her husband while they were on their way.

"Yes, indeed," Randall managed to reply between puffs of his pipe, "and he's as energetic as ever; hasn't aged a bit for the past sixty years or so."

It did strike a lot of inhabitants of the Shire as strange. The average expectancy of a Hobbit's life is about a hundred years. To have surpassed that was not too uncommon, but to have not looked the part was out of the ordinary. Holly was happy, though, that he lived for so long. He was the only family Frodo had left, after all.

Randall helped out with the party's preparation, while Holly and her mother set the barrels of ready to smoke pipe-weed on one of the tables. All the guests who were already there, cheered at the arrival of the pipe-weed.

"Yes, yes, we went all out for this one," Fanny happily exclaimed, "there's goin' to be enough for all of ya."

Leaving her mother after having set all of the barrels down, Holly went around to look for Frodo. The sun had completely set now and she found him socializing and joking around with other male Hobbits that were about their age. She caught up to them and they all greeted her with welcoming smiles.

"Gandalf's getting ready!" One of the Hobbits said as they pointed at Gandalf.

Frodo, Holly, and everyone else looked at Gandalf lighting one of his fireworks. It launched in the sky, accompanied by the exclamations of everyone in the crowd. The firework exploded in the air, spreading like a flower in full bloom. It did not stop there, however. The separate rays of the firework spread even further and came down like luminous rain. Laughter, gasps of awe, and clapping were filling the area. Music started playing and Holly started dancing along with Frodo. While dancing, Frodo noticed Samwise Gamgee, his gardener, sitting at a table and looking at Rose Cotton. Frodo knew that Sam was quite interested in Rosie. Wanting to help him out, Frodo pushed Sam off the table, telling him to go dance with his longtime crush.

Then, it happened. One of the tents was propelled in the sky. It exploded, just like other fireworks, into a blazing dragon. More cheers from the crowd were lifted, until those cheers transformed into screams of terror when the dragon came flying down at them.

"Duck!" Frodo screamed as he pulled Holly to the ground with him.

Everyone else ducked until the Dragon passed through, going back up to the sky and exploding into numerous beautiful orange blossoms. Excited acclamations, now stronger than ever before, echoed from the crowd. Gandalf, knowing that someone must've taken one of his fireworks, set out to search for the criminal, or criminals. As he had suspected, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, his first cousin. They were known to be the biggest troublemakers of the Shire.

At last, after all the festivities, Bilbo was asked to give his farewell speech. He went up on a podium, standing in front of all the guests. Everyone's attention was now focused on the party's host. The music stopped and the fireworks were put on hold.

"My dear Bagginses and Boffins," Frodo and the addressed families cheered, "Tooks and Brandybucks," Bilbo paused once more to let the ones concerned finish their cheering, "Grubbs," another cheer, "Chubbs," once more, "Hornblowers," Holly and her family were among those who cried out the loudest, "Bulgers, Bracegirdles, and Proudfoots."

"Proudfeet!" One of the heads of the family corrected Bilbo, generating loud laughter from the crowd.

Bilbo chuckled and kept going.

"Today is my 111th birthday!"

"Happy Birthday!" A few Hobbits lifted their beers in Bilbo's honour.

"Alas," Bilbo resumed, "eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like and I like less than half of you, half as well as you deserve."

There was a silence. Nobody really understood what Bilbo meant.

"I, er…" He sneakily reached for his pocket, "I have things to do…" when he reached into his pocket, Frodo and Gandalf looked at him curiously.

Holly looked at Frodo, also not really understanding why Bilbo's acting like that all of a sudden. Frodo just kept looking at his uncle.

"I've put this off for far too long," Bilbo adopted a serious tone as he hid his hands behind his back. "I regret to announce that this is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all farewell," he smiled at Frodo. "Goodbye."

The most curious thing then happened right before everyone's eyes. Bilbo disappeared. He completely vanished, leaving everyone in an extremely confused state.

"What?!" Holly screamed.

"How did that happen?" Frodo's voice was no more than a whisper.

"W-Where did he go? He just vanished!" Holly spun around in all directions, completely and utterly bewildered by this sudden turn of events.

Frodo's eyes worriedly and rapidly moved from one place to the other, trying to find Bilbo. Holly and Frodo both got up. After searching for while, they came to the conclusion that he really was nowhere to be found.

"Maybe he's back at his place," Holly suggested to a concerned Frodo.

"Yeah," Frodo nodded a few times. "Yeah, he's probably there. No, he's definitely there."

Frodo took off in a sprint towards Bagend, the place he lived in with Bilbo. Holly did her best to catch up with him. By the time she arrived at Bagend, she found Frodo standing in the doorway.

"He's gone, hasn't he" Frodo's voice was tinged with sadness.

Holly went up to Frodo and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"He talked for so long about leaving," Frodo walked further into the house, "I didn't think he'd really do it. Gandalf?"

That was when Holly noticed that Gandalf was inside. She quickly followed Frodo closely. Gandalf, seemingly only noticing their presence now, turned around.

"Hmm," Gandalf smiled at them.

His gaze then turned towards something that Frodo was holding.

"Bilbo's ring."

Holly looked as well. It was a ring. There was something strange about the ring. Holly couldn't take her eyes off of it. It captivated her. Gandalf noticed how her eyes lit with the dangerous flame that he'd also seen in Bilbo's eyes.

"Holly!" His commanding voice snapped her out of her trance.

She blinked a few times and looked away. Gandalf then opened an envelope to Frodo and motioned for him to deposit the ring inside.

"He's gone to stay with the elves," Gandalf said to Frodo as he sealed the envelope containing the ring, "he's left you Bagend along with all his possessions."

Gandalf then handed the sealed envelope to Frodo.

"The ring is yours now," Frodo carefully took the envelope from the wizard, "put it out of sight. Keep it secret, keep it safe."

Gandalf then got up and looked at Holly.

"You mustn't touch it, Holly."

Gandalf's authoritative voice forced Holly to nod.

"Where are you going?" Frodo asked.

"I have some things to attend to," Gandalf said as he headed through the door.

"What things?"

"Questions," he turned to face Frodo and Holly one last time. "Questions that need answering."

That was the last thing Gandalf said before he left the two of them, confused and lost. After trying to sort of their thoughts, Holly went home while Frodo headed for the bar, to try and get his mind off of things.

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 **So how was it? Tell me what you thought in the reviews and whether or not I should continue writing!**


	2. Departure

**Thank you so much for the favourite and like! As promised, I will continue the story :D**

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Chapter 2: Departure

Holly couldn't stop thinking about what happened that night. Frodo was all alone now. Bilbo was gone. And that ring. That ring both scared her and intrigued her. It was as if it was calling out to her. She remembered Gandalf's words.

" _You mustn't touch it, Holly._ "

She trusted Gandalf. She knew that he would never wish any harm to befall any of them. And then there was Frodo. She felt heartbroken for him. How lonely must it be to come back home and find no one to welcome you back. She didn't want that to happen. Her mind set, she decided to head to Bagend to keep Frodo company.

"Ma', I'm going to Frodo's."

"Oh that poor child," Fanny responded, "first his parents and now Bilbo leaves him."

"He's still got me," Holly proudly answers on her way out.

She quickly made her way to Bagend and reached the door. Without stopping, she opened it.

"Frodo!" Holly called out.

There was no answer. She deduced that he was still probably at the bar. Just to be sure, she called out his name a few more times. Getting only silence as an answer to her calls, she decided to wait for Frodo to get back. She sat down on a chair close to the door. As she waited, she heard someone's footsteps get closer. Thinking it to be Frodo, she shot up from her seat and opened the door to find none other than…

"Gandalf?!" Holly exclaimed.

He looked agitated. She quickly invited him in.

"What are you doing here, Holly?" He said as he quickly took a seat.

"I was waiting for Frodo to return," Holly simply replied.

Gandalf looked at her with suspicion in his eyes.

"You haven't touched it," he asked with a doubtful tone.

Holly brought her hands up in an act of surrender.

"I swear it on a barrel of pipe-weed! I didn't even try to find it, sir."

Gandalf let out a short sigh of relief.

"What are you doing back so soon? I thought you'd be gone for another while," Holly inquired of the wizard as she sat back down on one of the chairs.

"I'm in no liberty to say right now," Gandalf's voice was low and serious, "I need to speak with Frodo. Let me however warn you. If you stay to listen to this, I will not give you any choice to what happens to you next."

Holly blinked a few times. She wasn't expecting things to sound so grave. The day had started so well that this seemed like an obvious contrast with the earlier events.

Soon after, footsteps could be heard going up the stairs to the door. Gandalf looked at Holly, soliciting her to find out who it was. She got up and reached for the door. She slightly opened it to peer through.

"Frodo!" Her voice made the addressed hobbit jump a little.

"Holly? What are you doing here?" He asked her, confusion apparent on his face.

Even though he did not expect her to be waiting for him at home, he was happy to see her. As soon as he went inside, he noticed Gandalf also there.

"Gandalf…?"

Before he could ask anything, Gandalf cut him off.

"Is it safe? Is it hidden?"

Gandalf almost looked like a madman. The wizard seemed sick with worry and paranoia.

"Y-Yes, it's right here in the envelope," Frodo went to his closet and took out the envelope.

Gandalf snatched the envelope and threw it in the chimney fire.

"What are you…?" Frodo went up to the fire, but Gandalf stopped him.

"I need to confirm something," the wizard mumbled without taking his eyes off of the envelope that was rapidly consumed by the flames.

The ring was now exposed, sitting in a bed of fire. Gandalf reached for it with metal tongs, picking it up and directing it towards Frodo.

"Here," seeing Frodo hesitating, Gandalf reassured him, "don't worry, it's quite cold."

He then dropped it into Frodo's hesitating hands. Holly averted her eyes from the ring, feeling it trying to pull her towards itself. She wanted to resist it. She didn't want to be the pawn of its eerie powers.

"Holly," Gandalf softly said, "are you sure you want to stay for this?"

Holly still didn't understand what Gandalf meant when saying that, but she was sure of one thing.

"Whatever Frodo gets involved in, I want to be there with and for him."

Seeing her determination, Gandalf didn't question her any further. He then addressed Frodo.

"What do you see?"

Frodo started turning the ring between his fingers.

"Nothing…" He replied.

Squinting at the ring, however, he started seeing strange markings form.

"Wait," he said with awe, "I think I see something. It's some sort of… elvish. I can't read it."

Gandalf closed his eyes, his suspicions confirmed.

"That," the wizard said, "is the language of Mordor, which I will not utter here."

"Mordor?!" The two hobbits exclaimed in terror.

Mordor was a place of darkness. It was where Sauron had resided before his defeat. Now it was populated by his dark armies.

"In common tongue," Gandalf informed them, "it says…

"One Ring to Rule Them All

One Ring to find them

One Ring to bring them all

and in the darkness bind them!"

Gandalf slowly turned towards Frodo and Holly.

"That is the one ring. Forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom. Taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself."

"Bilbo found it," Frodo replied, "in Gollum's cave."

"Yes, for sixty years the Ring lay quiet in Bilbo's keeping prolonging his life," Gandalf confirmed, "delaying old age. But no longer Frodo. Evil is stirring in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It has heard its master's call."

Holly took a step back, realization dawning on her. It was all this ring that had kept Bilbo looking so young, as if he had not aged beyond fifty. The ring had ensnared Bilbo and it was trying to ensnare her as well. She knew of the story of Sauron and the Ring of Power.

"But he was destroyed," Frodo exclaimed, "Sauron was destroyed!"

Whispers suddenly were heard from the ring. Holly gulped, scared of all that was happening.

"No," Gandalf answered, "the spirit of Sauron endured. His life force is bound to the Ring and the Ring survived. Sauron has returned. His orcs have multiplied. His fortress at Barad-Dur is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands of a second darkness. He is seeking it. All his thought is bent on it. The Ring yearns above all else to return to the hand of its master. They are one, the Ring and the Dark Lord. He must never find it."

Frodo then looked around his house. Holly stayed close to Gandalf, not daring to get any closer to the Ring.

"Then we must hide it and never speak of it again," Frodo retorted, "no one knows it's here, right?"

He turned towards Gandalf, who averted his gaze.

"There is one," Gandalf mumbled in regret, "there is one who knew that Bilbo had the Ring. The creature Gollum was captured by the enemy. Tortured for hours, he revealed who was in possession of the Ring and where they were."

"But that would lead them here!" Frodo responded, clearly distressed by the sudden revelation.

"Then the Shire is in danger!" Holly declared, finally understanding the urgency of the situation.

Frodo tried to think of a solution. He then held the ring up to Gandalf.

"Take it, Gandalf!"

The wizard, looking terrified, took a step back.

"I dare not take it, Frodo."

"But you must!" Frodo insisted.

"Don't tempt me any further!" Gandalf sounded angry and almost desperate.

"It cannot stay in the Shire!" Frodo pleaded.

"No it can't," Gandalf agreed.

Realization then dawned upon Frodo and Holly.

"No," Holly stepped forward and stood between Frodo and Gandalf, "you cannot ask this of him."

Holly's tone was imploring Gandalf to think of another solution.

"It is the only way, Holly," the wizard looked apologetically to the hobbits, "you must leave the Shire, both of you."

"Why must Holly leave too?" Frodo asked, worried about his friend. "This doesn't concern her."

"It does now that she heard everything," Gandalf answered Frodo.

"Even if it didn't, I would not abandon you to such a dangerous journey, Frodo Baggins," Holly put a reassuring hand on her best friend's shoulder, "or I wouldn't be called Holly Hornblower."

Frodo couldn't help but smiling at Holly's support, even though he was worried about her accompanying him. A rustling was then heard from the window. Gandalf gestured for Holly and Frodo to stay quiet. He then went up to the window and grabbed whoever was hiding there. Pinning him down on the table behind him, Everyone recognized who it was.

"Sam!" Holly and Frodo exclaimed, surprised to see him there.

Gandalf, on the other hand, was much more angry to find him.

"Confound you, Samwise Gamgee! Have you been eavesdropping?" The wizard raised his voice in a menacing manner.

Sam brought his hands up in defending innocence.

"I haven't been dropping no eaves," Sam pleaded with a stuttering voice, "Sir honest! I was just cutting the grass under the window there. If you follow me-"

"A little late for trimming the verge," Gandalf sarcastically retorted, "don't you think?"

Sam looked down in defeat, "I heard raised voices…"

"What did you hear?" Gandalf commanded him to answer. Seeing how the hobbit was hesitating, he insisted further. "Speak!"

"Nothing important That is I heard a good deal about a ring and a dark lord and something about the end of the world, but please Mr Gandalf Sir, please don't hurt me," Sam begged, "don't turn me into anything... unnatural."

Gandalf let out an exasperated sigh and let him go.

"I have a better use for you," Gandalf looked at him with cunning eyes, "you shall accompany Frodo and Holly on their journey."

"Might I ask where we're headed, sir?" Sam asked Gandalf.

"Ah yes," Gandalf answered, realizing he had not told them a destination, "Bree. Go to the Village of Bree. There, I will meet you at the inn of the Prancing Pony."

Frodo then started packing his stuff.

"I should go and pack some stuff as well," Holly said.

"Make haste," Gandalf warned her, "it is not safe for any of you to be here any more."

Heeding his warning, Holly hurried to her home. Thankfully, her family was sound asleep. She packed some stuff, including her trusty kitchen knives.

"Sorry ma', pa'…" She whispered to herself, "I might not be back in some time…"

As she was heading out, she heard the galloping of a horse. She turned towards the noise and was immediately terrified at the sight. Not too far away, a black horse was ridden down the path by a rider covered completely in a black cloak. Everything about the mysterious rider looked terrifying.

"That must be what's after Frodo…" Holly whispered in a shaking voice, "I must hurry."

Making sure to take alleys that diverged from the main road, Holly made her way back to Bagend. There waited for her Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam, right outside the door.

"We must hurry! A black terrifying rider is in the Shire," Holly said with a tone of urgency.

"They didn't waste any time…" Gandalf mumbled.

All four then immediately set out of the Shire, getting as far away from the threat as they could.

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 **From now on, I'll probably try to update weekly. Also, as said in the summary, I might have to change the rating to M for the sake of future chapters. Thank you for reading and review and tell me what you think!**


	3. Away from Home

**Alright, shorter chapters from now on! Thank you for all those who are reading! I seriously love writing this.**

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Chapter 3: Away from Home

"Hurry, hurry!" Gandalf urged the three hobbits on.

Leading the way out of the Shire, pulling his horse along, Gandalf was followed by Frodo, Holly, and Sam. Once they were far enough, Gandalf stopped and turned towards the three Halflings. The sun was starting to rise.

"This is where we part ways for now," he said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible, "go to the village of Bree like I told you."

"Where are you going?" Frodo asked worriedly.

"I must seek council with my superior. Trust me, he's a wise man. He'll certainly know what to do."

Gandalf then kneels to be at the same eye-level as Frodo.

"Is it safe?" Frodo clutched the clothes at his chest, where he had put the ring on a chain around his neck.

The wizard nodded, satisfied. "Never put it on, do you hear me Frodo? The Ring wants to be returned to its master. It wants to be found. Sauron's spies are everywhere."

Frodo repeatedly nodded, trying to realize the gravity of the situation. Holly was trying to control her anxiousness, and Sam gulped in an attempt to push down his rising panic.

After Gandalf parted with them, they kept walking further and further away from their home. They went through a wheat field, shining golden in the morning sun. They kept going until they reached the end of the field. Sam paused for a bit, but, seeing Holly and Frodo walk on without hesitation, he decided to put away his fears of being so far from his home for the first time and followed suit.

They reached the forest by nightfall. The hobbits decided to set camp until the next morning.

"I'd kill for a puff of pipe-weed right about now," Sam said as he sat down in a bed of leaves.

"What kind do you want?" Holly asked him as she reached for the numerous pouches attached to her belt.

Sam's eyes lit up instantly.

"Bless you, Holly Hornblower!" His over-enthusiasm caused Holly and Frodo to chuckled.

While smoking the Old Toby that Holly gave him, Sam started cooking some meat in a pan on the fire. Frodo and Holly tried their best to gather up enough leaves to make a comfortable enough bedding for the night. While occupied with their tasks, beautiful singing reached their ears. Frodo, first to notice, called out to his companions. They all went up to see what the source of the enchanting melody was from. As it got increasingly louder, the hobbits found to whom it belonged to.

"Wood Elves!" Frodo whispered in awe.

"They are so beautiful," Holly stared in wonder.

Elves were the only race that never bought the Hornblowers' worldly renown pipe-weed. Holly always wondered why that was. Consequently, she had never interacted with Elves before.

"They're going to the harbour beyond the white towers," Frodo said in no little that a whisper. "To the Grey Havens…"

Frodo was also very fascinated by Elves. A lot of the books he read featured them, where he got his knowledge on the race. He would always share his knowledge with Holly wether she asked for it or not.

"They're leaving Middle Earth…" Sam added.

"Never to return," Frodo finished Sam's sentence.

"I don't know why," Sam sighed, "but it makes me sad."

After the passing of the Wood Elves, the group of Hobbits went back to the camp where they fell asleep until the next day.

When morning came, the three lazily stretched to soothe their aching bones from sleeping on such rough ground. The leaves didn't help much, either.

Back on their way, they reached a corn field. Considering their small stature, the corn plants were almost twice their height. Sticking close as to not lose sight of one another, they make their way through. Suddenly, a rustling sound coming from next to the three hobbits alerted them, causing them to come to a halt.

Before any of them could react, two figures pinned Sam and Frodo to the ground. Holly let out a short scream before she realized who the figures belonged to. She exhaled in relief and put her hands on her hips.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took…" Holly mumbled.

"Frodo!" Pippin exclaimed as he saw who was under him. "Merry! It's Frodo Baggins!"

"Get off of them, you two!" Holly commanded.

Sam pushed Merry away and shoved Pippin off of Frodo.

"Mr. Frodo! Are you alright?" Sam said as he pulled him up.

"What are you two doing here?" Frodo asked as he dusted off his clothes.

"No time! Hold these!" Merry threw some cabbages and carrots at Sam, who reflexively caught them.

That was when realization dawned on him.

"You've been into Farmer Maggot's crop!" Sam retorted, scandalized at their actions.

A bark then sounded in the distance.

"We can't stay here!" Holly panicked.

Sam dropped the crops and they all started running away.

"Hoi! You get back here! Wait till I get this through you! Get out of my fields! You'll know the devil if I catch up with you!" the farmer angrily shouted.

They ran and ran, not noticing the approaching cliff. All of them run into each other and fall off screaming.

"Ow…" Holly groaned, finding herself under both Frodo and Sam.

"Sorry about that, Holly!" Sam fumbled up on his feet.

Frodo also got up and helped her to her feet. Merry and Pippin giggled in triumph as they looked up at the cliff.

"Holly! Holly!" Pippin went up to her. "I was just about to come get me some pipe-weed from your place."

"Well, you'll have to see with my parents for that now," Holly looked down, knowing that they were probably furious and worried sick from not knowing where she was.

While they started having a conversation about pipe-weed, Frodo felt an unsettling presence. Feeling that it was dangerous to stay on the road, he hesitantly told his companions to get off the road. They, however, did not hear him.

"Get off the road!" He said with more urgency in his voice.

Everyone followed him and hid under a large tree root. Seeing how terrified Frodo was, they started feeling a bit of his fear as well. They all stayed quiet. Horse hooves started getting close to where they were hiding. Holly's heart almost leapt out of her chest. She was fearing that it was the black rider that she saw back at the Shire. As to confirm her suspicions, the hooded menacing figure peeked over the tree root. Everyone held their breath. Frodo was starting to feel dizzy. The Ring was being called by the rider and was also calling them. As if hypnotized, Frodo started bringing the ring to his finger. Noticing that, Sam held Frodo's hand, waking him from his trance. The rider, not sensing them, turned away and left. The group exhaled in relief.

"They're still following us…" Holly muttered.

"What was that?!" Merry exclaims in a low voice.

Frodo was sweating profusely, his hands trembling. He was scared. He was terrified. He didn't know what fate had in store for him. Holly, noticing her friend in such a state, gave him a comforting hug, promising him that she'd always be there for him whenever he needed her.

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 **Thank you for reading! I haven't had a single review on this, but I wish I will soon XD Other than that, I'm grateful that you actually continued reading up to here. :D**


	4. Separated

**I am so sorry it took me so long to write this! I just took a huge break from writing altogether. But now I'm back! Thank you for everyone who reviewed and followed and** **favourited! And to answer your question, Emmie, yes there will be smut eventually :D I'm keeping it rated T for now until I get to that part, then I'll change the rating to M. Thank you again for reading!**

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Chapter 4: Separated

Night was falling and the Hobbits' hearts were still troubled by the terrifying Riders. Holly and Frodo were holding hands while walking alongside their other companions. It was a natural thing for them, considering how close they'd always been ever since they were very young children. It was their only comfort in the lonely chilling night.

"Alright," Sam whispered after a small sigh, "I think we've lost them."

Holly felt Frodo's previously tight grip on her hand loosen up a bit.

"What is going on here?" Pippin asked whoever might know.

Merry picked up his pace to get next to Frodo and Holly.

"That Black Rider was looking for something," he then stepped in front of Frodo, looking him in the eyes, "or someone."

Before Frodo could reply, he felt a sudden tug. Holly then hurriedly dragged him in an alarming manner.

"Hide!"

The urgency in her voice made the others quickly follow her without question. It was then that they realized that a Black Rider was near. They ducked, concealed by the tall grass, holding their breath. The Black Rider walked by, not noticing them. When he was far enough, the Hobbits quickly got up and started quickly walking away. The deafening sound of a horse's angry neighing made their hearts almost stop then beat at a dangerous speed. The Black Rider had seen them. Others quickly joined him and starting chasing after the Hobbits who didn't waste any time running away. Holly and Frodo had let go of each other's hand to be able to run faster. Merry and Pippin were at the lead. The group ran without looking back at their chasers.

"Follow me! To the Bucklebury Ferry!" Merry exclaimed as he ran.

They all reached a nearby river. Without stopping, Merry and Pippin jumped to the nearby ferry and started undoing the rope while the others caught up. Sam leaped on it as well and then turned around to see where his two remaining companions were. Frodo was almost there and Holly was right behind him. The waves then started carrying the ferry further away from the shore.

"Frodo! Holly!" Sam shouted and extended his hand towards them.

Frodo took a huge leap, barely making it on the ferry. Sam hurriedly pulled him up and extended his hand for Holly. It was then that he realized that it would be impossible for her to jump so far.

"Holly!" Frodo screamed at the top of his lungs.

Holly was starting to panic, but she knew that she'd be done for if she stayed there.

"Don't worry about me," she exclaimed while running off along the riverside, "I'll catch up somehow!"

Not paying attention to Holly, the Black Riders tried following the ferry, but the horses soon retreated, afraid of the current. In the meantime, Holly was able to hide behind a large tree, waiting for the Riders to leave. Soon enough, they gave up and turned around. Holly let a sigh of relief escape from her mouth. She peeked at the other side of the river and saw her fellow Hobbits get off the ferry. Frodo stayed there, looking at the other side, hoping to see Holly, but Sam soon pulled him along.

Holly smiled in relief. They were all safe. Now she just had to find a way across. She pulled herself together and started walking along the shore, in hopes of getting to shallow enough part to cross. She walked up the current for quite a while.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Holly looked up ahead and saw her ray of hope. The river wasn't shallow, but there were rocks that protruded from the tumultuous currents. Holly knew that that was her closest way across.

The Hobbit carefully jumped over on the first rock. After stabilizing herself, she jumped to the next one, then the next… She finally made the last jump and landed on the other side. Now all she had to do was to make it to Bree. She had been there a few times to deliver some pipe-weed. She knew that she was close.

After making it past the forest, Holly found herself in front of a huge gate. Seeing the familiar sight made her anxiousness ease up a bit. She knocked on the gate, awaiting to be welcomed by the gatekeeper.

After a short wait, a man opened a small window at the top.

"Hello?"

Not seeing anyone, he closed it and moved to a lower window.

"Another Hobbit?" He said as he looked more closely at the visiter. "Oh! Miss Holly. Here for a pipe-weed delivery?"

"No, sir, not this time," she giggled, "I just need to get to the Prancing Pony."

"You too? Are you meeting up with the other four?"

Holly's face lit up as she realized who he must be talking about.

"Yes! That's right!"

"Come on in."

He opened the gate for her. After thanking him, Holly went on her way to the Prancing Pony, eager to see Frodo and the others again.

When she arrived there, she was welcomed by the strong smell of alcohol and smoke. The bartender, noticing the newcomer, welcomed her.

"If it isn't Miss Holly!" He gave her a grin. "I don't remember ordering any pipe-weed recently."

"I'm not here for that, this time," Holly replied. "Have you seen four other Hobbits come in here, by any chance?"

The bartender's face became serious.

"Yes, I did. They came here asking to see Gandalf the Grey."

"So they're here?"

"Well, not exactly… One of them created quite a scene, you see."

Holly looked at the bartender questioningly.

"What happened?"

"Well," the man tried to find words to explain what had happened, "he just disappeared all of a sudden, into thin air. At least, that's what some people are saying. I saw the others going up the stairs to the rooms over there."

He pointed at the stairs at the back of the rowdy room. Holly nodded at him and went there too.

When she made her way all the way up, she heard voices. More specifically, she heard Frodo's voice alongside a stranger's voice.

"Frodo!" She called out as she approached the room where the voices were coming from.

There was a moment of silence after she called his name, then…

"Holly!"

Frodo burst out of the room, hugging his friend tightly. Tears started flowing down her face.

"You're alright! You're all alright!" Holly hiccuped in the middle of her sentence. "I was so scared…"

"Keep it down, you two," a calm voice came from inside the room as a human man came out of it.

He had mid-length wavy brown hair and pale blue eyes. A beard and moustache were slightly grown out, framing his rugged face.

"Who…?" Holly looked at Frodo for answers.

"No time to explain that," the man said in his calm soothing voice, "we have to go, the Black Riders probably sensed the ring."

The Hobbits all followed the man out of the Prancing Pony and into an inn across the road. There, the man paid for a room where they all went to rest for the night.

Across the street, in the room they were in, the Black Riders broke in and stabbed the beds, having sensed the ring's power there. Finding no one, they screeched in anger, sending chills to anyone that heard them. The Hobbits woke up from the terrifying sound. The man looked, however, unperturbed.

"What are they?" Frodo whispered in fear.

"They were once men," the man answered Frodo in the same quiet voice. "Great Kings of Men. The Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed they took them without question. One by one falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgul. Ringwraiths. Neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the ring. Drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you."

Holly bit her lower lip, thinking of her friend's fate. Frodo looked fearfully down at the ring. How long did he have to carry this thing around?

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 **Thank you for everything and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Review and tell me what you think!**


	5. Journey to Rivendell

Chapter 5: Journey to Rivendell

"Where are you taking us?" Frodo asked the man.

He had told them all to follow him out of Bree. Having saved their lives prior to that, the Hobbits decided to trust him and were on their way.

"Into the wild." The man answered simply.

Merry then made his way next to Frodo.

"How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?" He cautiously whispered, not wanting the Strider to hear him.

"Didn't you all say that he saved your lives?" Holly responded. "Doesn't that amount to anything?"

"It could be a ruse!" Merry raised his voice.

Realizing that the Strider heard him, he shut his mouth with his own hands.

"We have no choice but to trust him." Frodo said to Merry.

"But where is he leading us?" Sam frowned worriedly.

Having heard that as well, the Strider didn't lose any time replying.

"To Rivendell, Master Gamgee," he answered calmly. "To the house of Elrond."

"We're going to see the elves?" Sam sounded all excited.

Holly started feeling a bit uneasy about interacting with elves. She never had the chance to before. They weren't exactly part of her family's clientele. She couldn't help but have certain prejudices about them being too snobbish or stuck up. It was as though they were too good for her family's merchandise. Of course, she would try not to let her preconceived ideas interfere with her better judgement, since she didn't know the real reason behind why they didn't smoke pipe-weed.

The party set out and didn't stop until nightfall, despite the constant whining of Merry and Pippin about skipping too many meals. Settling down under the cover of the trees, the Hobbits start a fire and cook the deer that Strider caught.

"Holly dear," Merry nudges her, "would you pass me some of your specialty pipe-weed mix?"

She snickered and gave everyone a handful, including Strider who accepted it with gratitude.

They all then got ready to sleep for the night. Strider sat on watch for the night, smoking the pipe-weed Holly gave him and started softly singing.

"Tinuviel elvanui,

Elleth alfirin ethelhael

O hon ring finnil fuinui

A renc gelebrin thiliol."

Frodo and Holly, who were not fully asleep, heard him. Holly didn't get up however, unlike Frodo. She stayed where she was, listening to both of them.

"Who is she?" Frodo asked Strider. "This woman you sing of?"

"'Tis the Lady of Luthien," Strider replied between puffs of his pipe, "the Elf Maiden who gave her love to Beren… a mortal."

"What happened to her?"

Strider looked down.

"She died." He then turned his head to Frodo, "get some sleep, Frodo."

As Frodo went back to sleep, Holly started thinking about what Strider had said. Such a fair and beautiful elf fell in love with a human. She must've known full well that she would die, but she still chose to be with that human. Why was that? Holly asked herself. She had personally never known what romantic love felt like. Maybe she'd understand once she experienced it.

The next day they keep on walking without resting once more. By dark, they all reach the ruins of a temple at the top of a hill.

"This was the great watchtower of Amon Sul," Strider explains, "we shall rest here tonight."

Once the Hobbits put down their belongings, Strider throws a dagger to each of them.

"These are for you. Keep them close. I'm going to have a look around."

After instructing them to stay where they are, Strider took off. Holly was the first to go to sleep. Frodo then followed suit. Frodo was then awakened by the other Hobbits' talking. Frodo got up and noticed that they had lit a fire. He then started to panic.

"What are you doing?"

His voice snapped Holly out of her sleeping state.

"Cooking. Food. You know?" Merry answered him, clueless as to why Frodo was acting that way.

"Put it out, you fools!" Frodo said as he stomped on the fire and threw ashes at it. "Put it out!"

Holly stood up and looked in the distance.

"I think… There's something there…" She whispered.

She thought she saw a shadow rustling through the trees. A familiar screech is then heard in the distance.

"The Black Riders!" Holly exclaimed in fear.

The Hobbits then ran in the opposite direction as the Riders didn't lose any time chasing after them. Realizing that there was no way to escape, Sam turned around to face the enemy, his dagger drawn out.

"Back!" He shouted at them. "You devils!"

One of the Riders shoved him aside, sending him flying and knocking him out. The other Hobbits then huddled together, scared for their life. A Black Rider then shoves Merry and Pippin aside. Holly, gathering up all her courage, stood in front of Frodo protectively.

"I-I won't let you lay a finger on him!"

Her voice was shaking. Her whole body was shaking. However, thinking of her dear friend, she took out one of her kitchen knives and threw it with an expert accuracy and the Black Rider's hidden face. As the knife penetrated the darkness, the Rider screeched. Removing the knife, he stabbed Holly in an angry fit with his sword. She let out a choked scream as she fell to the ground, everything blacking out. The last thing she heard was Frodo desperately screaming her name.

Fearing for his life, Frodo put the ring on, thinking he might escape the Black Riders that way. However, he was also stabbed but the Black Riders' sword. Feeling the rush of agonizing pain coursing through his body, he took off the ring while moaning and screaming in pain. At that moment, Strider arrived with a torch and a sword, driving the Black Riders away.

"Frodo! Holly!"

Holly had completely lost consciousness while Frodo was still half conscious.

"They've been stabbed by a Morgul blade!" Strider rushed to their side. "This is beyond my healing skills. They need elvish medicine."

"It's six days to get to Rivendell!" Sam desperately cried out. "They'll never make it!"

"No time to talk, then!" Strider ordered them with a firm voice. "Let's hurry!"


End file.
